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You're probably more likely to kill a bear than any other game animal in WA. August and September up high in blue berry fields is a good bet. Deer and elk, especially in SW WA is getting harder and harder due to timber co property becoming pay to play. If you're willing to pay for a permit it opens a lot of ground up to you. Heading east of the mountains opens a lot of ground, but deer numbers are down, as are elk. Permits are hard to draw, and elk with a rifle is spike only unless you're hunting non-traditional elk units. Things you can expect to accomplish:- Nice sunrises- Lots of exercise and fresh air- Lots of company during rifle seasons- Nice sunsetsThings I wouldn't expect to accomplish, at least off the bat:- Filling your freezer- SolitudeThere is a reason many WA residents are heading out state to hunt these days, it's not because we're all rich. All of this being said, if you spend the time out and about and do your scouting and due diligence, you can have great success in WA, it's just harder than other places.
Maybe I came off a little strong. These other guys are right, there is certainly success to be had here in WA. Like I said, it's just tougher than other places. Some good suggestions have been made about hunting predators, and turkeys. Both of those will get you in the woods and exploring, and that is really half the battle in finding good hunting locations for other species. One of the best deer hunting spots I ever found was found while bear hunting. Bear hunting in this state is very good. There are lots of bears, and in August and September, they are pretty consistent and easy to find. They like to walk roads leaving big piles of berry filled crap every few feet. When you get to an area they are using, it's very easy to ID. The plus to this is that berry fed black bears are exceptional table fare, and you can kill two a year. The bonus to that is you are doing local deer and elk herds a favor by removing predators. My suggestion for 2020 would be to buy whatever tags you are interested in hunting, pick an area and get in there in August and start bear hunting, and while doing that, you will learn the habits of deer and elk that frequent the area.
Hello 172nd, fellow Vet here. I started hunting from scratch 8 years ago. First 4 years were a painful learning curve. It clicked after that and I’ve shot 4 deer in the last 4 years.Biggest tip I can give: Don’t give up, it only takes 1. First few years, I would go out, Not see anything, and move or give up. Sometimes you just have to grind through and you will eventually see something.Not sure what your territory is like. But around here you really need to let your glass do the walking. I use to put boots to the ground and walk all day. I shudder to think of how many animals I walked past. Now I go from one vantage point to another and spend an hour or two just glassing.
It's not all doom and gloom. If you put in effort you can and should be successful. Starting from scratch is hard. You'll have to learn a good area and then learn how to successfully hunt. For me that came with trial and error.Start by looking at harvest statistics for elk. Also, start with bears in August. Find ripe berries and lots of bear poop. Hunt there and you'll kill bears.
I am pretty sure bear is open everywhere and overlaps just about anyplace you would hunt Elk or Deer in the fall. SW Wa has some pretty thick areas, I have made the mistake of thinking I can just pick through this little thick patch, pretty soon I am swimming through it just trying to find the exit.
So I’ve been doing some reading about bear habits/habitat here in WA. I’ve read a few threads here and a couple articles for various outlets but a lot of that covers basics, which I need. I even went to a seminar with bearmanric at cabelas to learn some calling stuff but I’m not sure where to start scouting. Is reading the harvest reports for a GMU a good way to determine if it’s a good place to hunt or would it be better to hunt surrounding areas. Logic being that if an area has had a lot of animals harvested then there won’t be as many next year, especially species that aren’t hunted sex specificSent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Look at the harvest reports for a few years and pick a unit that has consistently higher harvest than other areas and you will be on the right track. Then find the food sources in that unit and you will find the bear.
Quote from: 7mmfan on January 27, 2020, 02:24:49 PMGood advice right there, I like to pretend I am bear hunting during august, mostly I am scouting for Elk and deer as I archery hunt in Sept stuffing my face with huckleberries and taking naps.
Quote from: b0bbyg on January 27, 2020, 02:40:44 PMQuote from: 7mmfan on January 27, 2020, 02:24:49 PMGood advice right there, I like to pretend I am bear hunting during august, mostly I am scouting for Elk and deer as I archery hunt in Sept stuffing my face with huckleberries and taking naps. Hey, me too
As someone else who is new to hunting. Bear hunting is not something I have thought of as a good starting point. You guys have definitely opened my eyes to the idea. Specially after hearing that small game wasn’t very prevalent in my area before I moved. With all that being said would this be something one could use a shotgun or a bow to harvest? I do understand my odds are against me, but as a safety and ethics or. Is this strictly game geared more to rifle hunting.Sorry 172ndVet I have been watching for awhile and don’t mean to start your thread down a different path
